Actuator button and dispensing nozzle for aerosol valve



D. B. GREEN 3,365,138 ACTUATOR BUTTON AND DISPENSING NOZZLE FOR AEROSOL VALVE Jan. 23, 1968 Filed July 18, 1966 United States Patent 3,365,138 ACTUATOR BUTTON AND DISPENSING NOZZLE FOR AEROSOL VALVE Derek B. Green, Manchester, N.H., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, C0nn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed July 18, 1966, Ser. No. 565,810 4 Claims. (Cl. 239-534) This invention relates to aerosol type valves and particularly to a combined actuator button and dispensing nozzle capable of discharging a spray over a wide angle, preferably 360 around the stem.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical device of this nature which can be molded as one piece from flexible plastic material, such as rubber or polyethylene.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown for purposes of illustration, one embodiment which the invention may assume in practice.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows how the improved actuator button is applied to a common form of aerosol container;

FIG. 2 is a central vertical section through the actuator button and valve stem with the parts in their normal atrest position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the position of the parts when the valve is open for use;

FIG. 4 is a view partly in vertical section, showing the actuator button as it is initially molded; and

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4.

The valve itself forms no part of the invention and will only be briefly described- It has a valve body 6 attached to a cap 7 which is in turn sealed to the aerosol container 8. The valve has a movable tubular stem 9 which is best seen in FIG. 2.

The button has a cylindrical socket portion 10 which fits snugly around the top portion of the valve stem 6 and a rim 11 may be provided to give the socket extra strength as well as to facilitate its application to the stern. An internal shoulder serves as a stop to locate the button on the stem.

Extending upwardly from the socket is a cylindrical chamber 13 having a plurality of apertures 14 through its cylindrical wall. There are preferably four or more such apertures, equally spaced circumferentially around the chamber wall. The top of the chamber is closed by an end wall 15.

A flexible skirt 16 depends from the outer edge of this top wall and embraces the cylindrical chamber 13 so as normally to cover and close off the apertures 14. It will 3,385,138 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 be noted that there is also an external shoulder 17 a short distance below the bottom edge 18 of the flexible skirt.

The piece is first molded by the use of comparatively simple mold parts into the shape shown in FIG. 4. Here the skirt is seen as a tubular extension 19 in axial alignment with the chamber 13 and socket 10. After removal from the mold, this tubular extension can be folded or rolled down over the wall of the chamber, it being understood that the material is of such nature that it has the required flexibility and resilience to permit this operation.

When the valve is open by lateral or endwise pressure on the top wall 15, the fluid pressure acts on the inner surface of the skirt 16 through the apertures 14. The skirt will flex outwardly as indicated in FIG. 3 on a somewhat exaggerated scale, allowing the fluid to flow downwardly against the shoulder 17 which further breaks up the spray so that it will effectively cover 360 as indicated in FIG. 5.

What I claim is:

1. A one-piece combined actuator button and dispensing nozzle for an aerosol valve having a movable tubular valve stem, said actuator button having (a) a socket portion adapted to fit around the upper end portion of said valve stem;

(b) a cylindrical chamber extending upwardly from said socket and having a plurality of apertures through the cylindrical wall thereof;

( c) an end wall closing the top of said chamber; and

(d) a flexible skirt portion depending from said top wall, said skirt portion normally embracing said cylin- 'drical chamber and covering said apertures, but being capable of flexing radially outwardly under fluid pressure in said chamber to discharge fluid around the bottom edge of said skirt portion.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by an external upwardly facing shoulder located a short distance below said bottom edge of the skirt portion.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein there are at least four of said apertures equally spaced circumferentially around said chamber.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the material of said one-piece button has the required degree of resilience and flexibility to permit said skirt portion initially to be molded as an upward hollow cylndrical extension in axial alignment with said socket and chamber, and then folded or rolled down around said chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,715,980 8/1955 Frick 2222l2 X 2,890,838 6/1959 Jannsen 239534 2,913,749 11/ 1959 Ayres 222-494 X 3,203,454 8/ 1965 Micallef 222402.12 X

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ONE-PIECE COMBINED ACTUATOR BUTTON AND DISPENSING NOZZLE FOR AN AEROSOL VALVE HAVING A MOVABLE TUBULAR VALVE STEM, SAID ACTUATOR BUTTON HAVING (A) A SOCKET PORTION ADAPTED TO FIT AROUND THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID VALVE STEM; (B) A CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID SOCKET AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES THROUGH THE CYLINDRICAL WALL THEREOF; (C) AND END WALL CLOSING THE TOP OF SAID CHAMBER; AND (D) A FLEXIBLE SKIRT PORTION DEPENDING FROM SAID TOP WALL, SAID SKIRT PORTION NORMALLY EMBRACHING SAID CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER AND COVERING SAID APERTURES, BUT BEING CAPABLE OF FLEXING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY UNDER FLUID PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER TO DISCHARGE FLUID AROUND THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID SKIRT PORTION. 